As is well known, motorized barrier operators automatically open and close a barrier, such as a garage door or the like, through a path that is defined by a physical upper limit and a physical lower limit. The physical lower limit is established by the floor upon which the garage door closes. The physical upper limit can be defined by the highest point the door will travel, which can be limited by the operator, a counterbalance system, or physical limits of a door track system that carries the door. The operator's upper and lower limits are employed to prevent door damage resulting from the operator's attempt to move a door past its physical limits. Under normal operating conditions, the operator's limits may be set to match the door's upper and lower physical limits. However, operator limits are normally set to a point less than the door's physical upper and lower limits.
Forces needed to move the barrier vary depending upon the door position or how much of the door is in the vertical position. Counterbalance springs are designed to keep the door balanced at all times if the panels or sections of the door are uniform in size and weight. The speed of the door panels as they traverse the transition from horizontal to vertical and from vertical to horizontal can cause variations in the force requirement to move the door. Further, the panels or sections can vary in size and weight by using different height panels together or adding windows or reinforcing members to the panels or sections. In prior-art devices, these variations cannot be compensated for.
Barriers, such as garage doors, are sometimes difficult to install. In many cases the ground or floor as well as the frames on the structure which contain the barrier are not square. During installation of the barrier, the track system should conform to the structure and if the attachments are not square then the track system will not be square. When this occurs, the door binds during operation. Even if this may only appear to be a slight bind, after the door is cycled for a period of time, the binding can become worse. Binding adversely impacts the operation of the door as well as the motorized operator that moves the door. Further the door itself will begin to deteriorate causing additional damage to the door and greater loads on the operator.
The prior art discloses barrier operators with control logic that will alert the user as to what the condition of the operator is in and take corrective steps to take to correct the issues. Some systems propose an operating status information apparatus that outputs a combination of a warning signal and message clearly indicating the operating status, preferably without the assistance of any further information. However, such a system is directed at the unexpected action of the operator and does not address the initial installation of the barrier and whether the setup was proper and differentiates this from normal wear and deterioration of a barrier.
Other prior art operating systems are directed toward things that may occur during normal operation of the barrier and generate service reminders that will alert the user in different ways to allow proper maintenance of the motorized operator. However, these systems do not indicate whether the initial set up and installation was within a proper operational range of the barrier and how to correct for normal barrier deterioration that occurs over time.
It is also known to control a barrier operator with input from sensors to a controller. In these systems, a pulse counter detects speed of the garage door during transfer between first and second positions, and a potentiometer determines a plurality of positional locations of the garage door during transfer between first and second positions. A control circuit calculates a motor torque value from the speed for each of the plurality of positional locations to compare with a plurality of door profile data points, wherein the control circuit takes corrective action if the difference between the motor torque value for each of the plurality of positional locations and the plurality of door profile data points exceeds a predetermined threshold. The control circuit also updates door profile data points to the motor torque values for each respective positional location if the predetermined threshold is not exceeded.
In these prior art devices, if the barrier was not properly installed, the profiling of the operator would not allow an acceptable range of operation and the user had no knowledge of how to correct the installation short-comings of the barrier and in some cases the operator. If the door was binding, the controls would assume the door was heavier than it was and ultimately part of the predetermined operational range was included into the profiling routine leaving less of a range for operation abnormalities. Other prior art devices address a means to set and control the force settings but they provide no indication as to determining the proper set-up or installation of the barrier. And the art discusses the methods for teaching limits and motor speed as well as counting operational cycles as a means of monitoring barrier performance and setting up preventive maintenance.
It is also known to provide a controller that is connected to the motor drive unit and a wall console that resides inside the garage. The wall console also has a microcontroller. The controller of the motor drive unit is connected to the microcontroller of the wall console by means of a digital data bus. The microcontroller is able to learn when to stop the door and when to slow it down if there is a problem with the speed of the door, i.e., if there is binding of the door in the tracks, an obstruction present, a drop in the line voltage or if there is a mechanical problem such as a broken spring, wheel, etc. As in other prior art, this device addresses whether there is a change after the initial installation, but does not address whether the barrier was properly installed initially. Nor does this prior art device precisely identify where in the door travel a problem might be.
It is also known to provide a barrier with a transmission system providing connection between a motor and a door, and adapted to move the door between a closed position and an open position located above the closed position. This system provides an apparatus to generate a first signal representing a force used to move the door from the closed position to the open position, and to generate a second signal representing a force used to move the door from the open position to the closed position. A controller is responsive to the first signal and to the second signal to indicate an imbalance of the door when a difference between the first signal and the second signal exceeds a predetermined threshold. However, the ability to accurately pinpoint where the door imbalance occurs is not provided.
In the business of the installation of barriers, such as garage doors, the ability to keep trained installers has become more difficult. As these systems become more sophisticated due to improved electronic controls, the lack of trained installers causes a number of installation problems. Further in respect to consumers, if they install their own doors, the technology changes significantly between the time they put up their initial door and later replace it. Many times the issues that frustrate them and sometime cause them to return the product to the retailer, is the consumer's or installer's inability to achieve a proper installation.
The results of improper installation of a door system can result in the door dragging or binding which increases the wear on the drive components of both the door and the operator system. In products that are expected to have useful lives of many years, many only last for a couple of years and appear to the user to be operating properly. Moreover, as barrier systems, such as garage door systems have become more appearance oriented, these appearance modifications add weight to the door which effect the operation of the door and operator system. Without some guidance, consumers and installers may in fact make changes that cause the door to become inoperable.
What is needed is a controller for a motorized barrier operator that can determine whether the installation of the barrier and the operator were within an acceptable range, to give many years of service, and notify the user if this installation is not acceptable. Also if the installation is not within a proper range, resulting in possible severe reduction in service life, the controller will notify the user of exactly where the deficiencies are in door travel. Further, there is a need for the controller to continue to monitor the barrier and the operator throughout the product life and indicate to the user in a diagnostic procedure and identify any abnormalities that may occur due to the user's influence or normal deterioration and recommend the remedies to preserve the product's life.